preschool teacher

teacher

school teacher

bus driver

kitchen manager

Growing Kids Learning Center

I have the privilege of working out of the Home Office, which means I get to see the heart of the organization up close—and I can confidently say that the leadership here walks the talk when it comes to valuing people. Working closely with the president and other members of the leadership team, it’s clear that Growing Kids puts a huge emphasis on culture. Whether it’s supporting staff, engaging families, or prioritizing the needs of the children, every decision is made with people in mind.

One of my favorite aspects of my role is getting to visit the Centers. There’s something incredibly special about walking into a building and immediately feeling the warmth, energy, and genuine care that radiates from the staff. The teachers are passionate, creative, and dedicated to making a difference in the lives of the children they serve. You can feel the joy in the classrooms—kids are excited to learn, and teachers are excited to teach.

What stands out most to me is how intentional Growing Kids is about building strong relationships. Whether it’s a Center Director checking in on a teacher’s well-being, or a classroom teacher going the extra mile to make a child feel safe and seen, the culture of support is real. You’re never “just” an employee here—you’re part of a team that wants to see you thrive both personally and professionally.

The company also does a great job celebrating successes, encouraging professional development, and creating opportunities for growth. From all-staff events to small, everyday moments of recognition, you feel appreciated. And the focus on continuous improvement means there’s always a sense of purpose and progress.

If you’re looking for a workplace that blends meaningful work with a positive, people-first culture, Growing Kids is it. I feel lucky to be part of an organization that is so deeply committed to its mission—and to its people.

A typical day at work involves spending most of my time inside my classroom, unless restroom breaks allow me a brief moment to step out. Throughout my time here, I have learned a great deal about childcare—especially how to support children with behavioral challenges and how to respond in ways that foster their growth.
While I enjoy my job, communication from management is an area that needs improvement. At times, teachers receive multiple conflicting answers that do not clarify our questions or concerns, and important conversations can feel avoided. Despite this, the overall workplace culture is generally calm and positive. I enjoy working here, even though there are occasionally individuals who bring negativity or create unnecessary challenges for others. The most challenging aspect of the job for me is working late hours, which can be physically and mentally tiring. However, the most enjoyable part is absolutely the children. Being able to play, engage, be silly, and build meaningful relationships with them is the highlight of my day. Their hugs, kind words, and energy make the job worthwhile.

They struggled to keep employees, which I can't fault their employees for, because they unfortunately treat them very poorly. The threes room is a nightmare to work in, because they can't keep a single teacher in there for more than three weeks. The kids have no sense of normalcy or security. The emotional stress it puts on the kids is overwhelming and leads to behavioral issues that are prominent in that classroom. Management puts you in that classroom alone with 10 kids and watches you fail to keep them under control. Then when you get sick and are forced to leave an hour early, your pay is cut by $2/hr for two weeks. 
 I watched a teacher of 12 years quit within a week of working there because of the pressure put on her being alone in a classroom.
Nightmare of a place to work, even if it wasn't understaffed.

 I've noticed that the classrooms with the least problem behaviors have teachers who are self-assured and self-controled; they work with their co-teacher and are supportive. Classrooms where the most behavoir problems occur are in the rooms whose teachers are inexperienced and don't get along with other teachers. Its extremely stressful as a float or substitute to work with so much inconsistency from classroom-to-classroom. 
 I'm partial to following the rules, but some teachers shrug off many of the rules, unless they believe someone is evaluating or reporting them. (Another stressor for me.)
 About half of the teachers are friendly and want to help you succeed but the other half are dissmissive and sometimes downright rude. You need thick skin to work here. 
I'm satisfied with the pay I recieve but it isn't enough  to support a family if its your only source of income.

It was so much fun to see the kids learn and grow day to day while working at Growing Kids and the staff was so much fun except for management! The director & assistant director did not care to help when a teacher was struggling and often gave snarky remarks when you needed assistance. They would tell us things like “we don’t have time for that” or that they were too stressed out. With major much needed improvements to management, I think growing kids in Chesterton could be a great place to work but currently even teachers who have been working there for multiple years are feeling burnt out & unappreciated by the management. It was next to impossible to take a day off when my kids were sick, they would always ask if I could come in later to finish the day or try to guilt me into coming in anyways instead of being with my kids who needed me. 

Some of the nice things is having a decent support system. However the pay is sad and disappointing. It’s advertised up to 18+. But that’s with an attendance bonus which is hardly worth it. You lose it if you’re late.. I feel it should be changed to daily and pay needs significantly increased. The turnover in daycares, early learning, whatever you choose to call it is 6 months or less. I can fully say it’s because of compensation!! After that it’s the lack of support in the times you actually need it. Trainings are provided. But more often than not, I hear giggles and gossip from the extremely busy office staff. I hear a lot. I just choose to keep my lips shut and head down. 

When I first started here, things were great. I felt like I was making a difference in the lives of both the kids and the parents and I loved the people I worked with. Unfortunately, the pay here and the "bonus", if you can call it that, is nowhere near adequate for the cost of living nowadays nor the things you encounter daily. There's a severe lack of communication between the up-front office staff and the teachers, causing a lot of confusion, and asking for help feels like a burden when the higher-ups complain about it and make you feel incompetent for behaviors in the children that you can't control and weren't properly trained to dissolve and take care of. I'm sad that things have gone so downhill here. The turnover rate is so high and you will be injured here.

* Typical work day,  starts with low numbers of children, increasing at different times of  the day, with busy learning activities, outside side 2 times a day a large group room for children to use every day. Meet requirements  in healthy food program.
*I learned how to be a stronger teacher.Education was provided. 
*Management-Supervisors,assistant director, and director.- Management has changed over the years to the detriment of the teachers and students not staffed enough for the increased    behavioral challenges in the classroom.not enough support from management when asked.
*Work place culture- diverse
*Hardest part- Many Behaviors
*Most enjoyable part of job- Making a difference in the children's lives watching them grow.

Having a good job and working with good people is important to me. Every year, Growing Kids strives to improve. This year, a Certified Behavior Specialist has been hired to assist with mentoring teachers as needed. There are lots of fun activities for the kids and teachers to enjoy. A variety of activities include growing gardens, Fire Truck Days, Picnics, Field Trips, and so much more. We have attendance bonuses, spot awards for completing a survey for $5 CASH, a sundae bar for our staff, and the team takes care of each other. Instead of finding a job, I found a family!

The pay here is disgustingly low. Your cup will run over on a daily basis with no end in sight. They just keep adding on to everything you already do with no more compensation. Yearly raises are low. They do not pay enough to support yourself. If they raised their pay scale they would get better teachers. Decades of experience and college education do not get you higher pay. Management plays favorites and the regional manager plays into it. Finally the company includes all children regardless if the staff is educated on how to work with children that have special needs.  The owner doesn’t care about quality staff just money in his pocket. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Preschool teacher 39 salaries reported	$13.92 per hour
Teacher 26 salaries reported	$14.00 per hour
School teacher 5 salaries reported	$14.00 per hour
Bus driver 9 salaries reported	$14.00 per hour
Kitchen manager 4 salaries reported	$13.13 per hour

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